Belgium
| Koninkrijk België Royaume de Belgique Königreich Belgien Kingdom of Belgium | ||||||
| ||||||
| ||||||
| Capital | Brussels 50°54'N 4°32'E | |||||
| Official languages | Dutch, French, German
| |||||
| Government | Federal constitutional monarchy | |||||
| Independence | from the Netherlands | |||||
| - | Declared | October 4, 1830 | ||||
| - | Recognised | Treaty of London, April 19, 1839
| ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 30,528 km² 11,787 sq mi | ||||
| - | Water (%) | 6.4 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2005 estimate | 10,419,000 | ||||
| - | 2001 census | 10,296,350
| ||||
The Kingdom of Belgium (Dutch: Koninkrijk België; French: Royaume de Belgique; German: Königreich Belgien) is a country in northwest Europe bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France. Belgium has a population of over ten million people, in an area of around 30,000 square kilometres (11,700 square miles).
Contents
Genealogical Associations
- svvf - The overarching organisation of Flemish genealogist
- VVF - Flemish Society for Genealogy.
- VCGH - Flemish Centre for Genealogy and Heraldry.
History relevant to genealogists
Todo
Digital Archives
Free
- City archive Antwerps search Here you can search in the population registers, building acts and fotoarchive. A selection:
- foreigners registry Antwerps: usefull for Americans, as many boats left from Antwerps to New York. The foreigners needed to register to stay in Antwerps while waiting for the boat.
- West-Flemish Genealogical records Here you find a free overview (in a table as well as on a map) of the genealogical records of West Flanders which have been entered by voluntary co-operators of the Public Record Office of Bruges. You find indexes on parochial registers, civil status, census, population registers, lawsuits, state of goods, notary deeds, declaration of heritages, popp maps. Furthermore, of the city archives of Bruges and Courtrais (Kortrijk), an index is given with what can be accessed from microfilm.
- City archive of Tongeren. An online search is offered
Semi Non-Free
- Ariadne - Archive of the SVVF with indexes on sources. Parts are free. Other parts are free to use by members of SVVF (access code is in the monthly publication). Accessible in the archive centres for non-members on paying archive entry fee.
Online collections
These collections are normally put online by volunteers.
- passenger lists - Rootsweb section on ships that departed from Belgium to America (see above with anterps city archive too).
- Erik Witter - Marriage lists for Denderleeuw, Iddergem and Welle
- Halen - Parish Registries and Civil Status of Halen (with Loksbergen en Zelem). Only Civil Status of Halen is finished at the moment.
- Belgian War Graves - Overview of Belgian War Graves of first and second worldwar.
Archives
State archives
City archives
- Stadsarchief Antwerpen Antwerps
- Stadsarchief Brugge Bruges
- Stadsarchief Dendermonde Dendermonde.
- Stadsarchief Gent Ghent
- Stadsarchief Ieper Ypres
- Stadsarchief Mechelen Mechelen
- Stadsarchief Sint-Niklaas Saint-Nicholas
Local archives
- Stekene Stekene Kemzeke Koewacht Klein-Sinaai Hellestraat
Provincial
- Provincie Antwerpen (archief) Antwerps
- Provincie West-Vlaanderen (Archief) West-Flanders
- East-Flanders
Universities
- Universiteitsarchief Universiteit Gent Ghent Univerity
- Universiteitsarchief KU Leuven Leuven
Main sources of genealogical information
Todo
Links to pages with more links and information
Genealogy dedicated wiki's
- geneawiki.be The wiki made by the svvf suborganisation Computer and Genealogy, a non-profit organisation.
- Limburg wiki Genealogy in the province of Limburg
Link sites
- GENPALS
- Genealogical Society of Flemish Americans
- start.be
- geneaknowhow a lot of digital sources from The Netherlands and Belgium : update nearly every day
- ISIS If you have ascendants from 'Zeeuws-Vlaanderen' : the southern part of The Netherlands
